TELL ME EVERYTHING a novel by Elizabeth Strout In past years, if I sat down to write novels about people connected to one another in various ways; if Read More
A Doctor Examines Mortality, Asks How He Can Help His Patients BEING MORTAL And that is what Gawande emphasizes in this book: choice. The cases he relates are all about Read More
Our Early Loves Can Take Us Places When I was in grade school, I wrote a story about an avalanche. What did I know about that frightening Read More
When You Don’t Get the Window Seat This post recalls an experience many of us have had. And lately, when I fly, I never get a window Read More
Adjusting to New Developments Dear Readers: some of you have seen this piece, as it was posted last week…but most of you have NOT, Read More
Are We “Trailing Clouds of Glory”? Sometimes I yearn for an answer, and thus would love your thoughts concerning this: why is it that as we Read More
Rain or Snow…Everybody Needs a Barbara Fighting my fears…something wasn’t right. Midnight, snowstorm on the Dan Ryan Expressway, my van making some unidentifiable sound above Read More